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Story Point Use

06-06-2008, 05:32 AM

THE LOVECRAFT COUNTRY STORY POINT PROGRAM

Part 1:

Like other Skotos games, Lovecraft Country games include a system for earning story points. Story points may be earned in a variety of ways. Premium account holders automatically receive story points on a monthly basis as a thank-you for their heightened level of commitment to Skotos games. Other players may earn story points by writing original works that contribute to the setting or by referring new players to the community.

Now, story points may be spent to enhance your existing or new characters in Lovecraft Country. The following enhancements are not a complete list, but an initial offering. As Lovecraft Country proceeds toward its full release, this list will be periodically updated to include further exciting features to enhance your storytelling capabilities.

STORY POINT COST CAVEAT

The Lovecraft Country staff reserves the right to request additional story points for any request above and beyond the cost listed due to unexpected complexity or additional programming. In all cases, the player making the story point request will be contacted before the extra points are charged.

THE @STORYPOINT COMMAND

Some story point expenditures have now been automated by the @storypoint command.

The @storypoint command supports both instant purchases, where a player acquires the purchased option immediately (for instance, buying a nickname will give you that nickname instantly, without staff moderation), and moderated purchases, where the player submits a request and staff approves or declines that request.

Typing @storypoint will present the player with the following output:

> @storypoint
You have 1037 StoryPoints available on your account.
Use @storypoint to perform StoryPoint-related purchases.
The following actions are available:
@storypoint ‘[message]’ —request a custom StoryPoints purchase from the game staff
@storypoint list —list the available StoryPoint purchases that you can afford
@storypoint list all —list all StoryPoint purchases available
@storypoint info [topic]—display information about a StoryPoint purchase topic
@storypoint history —display history of completed and pending purchases of yours
@storypoint buy [topic] —purchase a particular topic

The command gives 6 ways of using @storypoint. We will cover these individually now:

@storypoint ‘[message]’

This is the core form of the @storypoint command, and is also the form it has been in for some time already in the Castle Marrach game, prior to the introduction of the StoryPoints tool. This command is mapped to the customer request system, and will simply create a new task in the Storypoints queue.

> @storypoint “I would like to buy a courtier package and a bag of chips.”
You have 1037 StoryPoints available on your account.
06:45 [TAS] “<#17716/Storypoints> filed by Joe Smith[fake]: !Storypoint! I would like to buy a courtier package and a bag of chips. [Email alert sent]”

@storypoint list

This command will list the purchases that a player can currently afford. The system will simply step through all available StoryPoints options and include all with a price tag at or below the player’s number of story points.
> @storypoint list
You have 1037 StoryPoints available on your account.
Options that you can afford:
option | cost
------------+------
alteration | 50
nickname | 10

In a SkotOS-enabled browser, clicking on a link will perform a @storypoint info [topic] call.
@storypoint list all

This command works exactly the same, except it lists all options, including the ones a player cannot afford at the moment.

@storypoint info [topic]

This command will display further information about a StoryPoints option.

> @storypoint info alteration
You have 1037 StoryPoints available on your account.
--- Alteration ---
Cost: 30 StoryPoints
Trait alterations are specifically when changing one body-part to appear different. Do note that this does not include ADDING a trait to an existing body-part (compare “blue eyes” to “seablue eyes” versus “leg” to “shapely leg"). Trait alterations are approved or declined on a per-request basis. They should generally be non-intrusive and adhere to the concept of show-not-tell; “beautiful hair” is bad, “autumn hair” is better.

@storypoint history

The history command is available to players so that they can monitor and review the submitted requests that they have made, pending as well as historic. Players can see the staff notes for all request updates or approvals. For example:

Perhaps your character has a long first name and prefers to be called by a shortened version of that name. Or maybe your character is just well known by a nickname. Whatever the case, for a very small story point expenditure, you can get your nickname added to your character body. The practical purpose of a nickname in the game is to offer a shortened, easy-to-type name that others can use to refer to your character when typing. Your character’s standard name will continue to appear in-game, but players can target your character by nickname (“Binks”) as well as your given name (“Binkford”).

Rules Nicknames may not be profane or generally offensive. What constitutes offensiveness is up to the discretion of the staff.

You can have as many nicknames as you like, but you will be automatically charged 5 points each time you add one. If you accidentally added a nickname you do not want or simply decide you’re tired of it and want it removed, it will cost 5 points per nickname. Nickname removals should be requested via a normal @assist.

Alter Gait: Cost 10

Instead of merely entering or walking into a room, you can slide or sashay or stroll in! This is an automated change, so that you don’t have to type it yourself.

Rules No silly walks.

Enhance a Character Trait: Cost 10

In Lovecraft Country, you can purchase trait alterations. A trait alteration is a change to an existing adjective, such as “blue” or “bright” or “dark” etc. to a given body-part of your selected character

Rules Trait alterations should adhere to a few rules, or they risk being declined by staff:

* You should not submit “tasteless” traits that include swear words or modern “slang”. 1930’s slang may be acceptable.
* You should try to show your fellow players, not tell them. “Beautiful hair” is unacceptable. “Autumn hair” is better.

At the moment, only seven body parts may be altered by using the @storypoints system. Other requests will have to be handled manually.

In the event that any dramatic or supernatural request is attempted, plotters may require you to come up with a plot idea to explain the change in-character.

Manual change requests that involve the individual alteration of a left-right pairing (such as eyes, ears, hands, or feet) may require an additional point expenditure.

Add a Detail to your Character: Cost 25

With this enhancement, you can add a brand new detail to your character in addition to the standard complement of hands, eyes and feet. For instance, you could add a third nipple to the character, a wicked scar, or a vestigial tail or other appendage that will mark your character as otherwise different from the norm.

Rules Added details cannot be obviously otherworldly enhancements. They should always be explicable in terms of how a real-world rationalist might view it. In other words, requests to add a tentacle to your character’s stomach will be declined. However, a pentagram-shaped rash would be well within the allowable.

If there is an existing in-character way to get a new detail, such as a scar or tattoo, then there will be no storypoint charge for the enhancement if you get by such a method.

Free-Form Character Description: Cost 75

With this package, you may specify exactly what others see when they type look or examine.

Rules Descriptions must be appropriate to the game’s themes and mood. The staff reserves the right to disallow any descriptions it deems inappropriate for whatever reason. Descriptions must remain ostensibly human, though a suggestion of taint or otherworldliness may be allowed. But if the description goes too far, you may want to save up for the Bloodtaint or Cultist package instead.

As this is a complex manual task wherein your alterable traits must be similarly referenced in relation to your Look and Examine descriptions, you will be required to consult with a staff member about what you are considering. Please be kind and patient!

Custom Speech Pattern: Cost 100

If your character speaks with a distinctive drawl or accent and you would like to simulate it without having to type it yourself, a staff member can help you to develop a replacement script for your typed words.

Rules It will be far easier for us if you figure out which words you always want to replace with simulations ahead of time. For example, you may want your British character always have the word “very” replaced with a proper “veddy.” Please try to think out all the permutations of how the accent can be simulated. And, yes, you can give your character a Dunwich accent with this package.

LIVING SPACE OPTIONS

Residence Makeover: Cost 250+

With this enhancement, you can describe your home so that it appears as grubby or fine as you like. Customize your room description to make it a perfect, uber cool fit for your character’s unique personality.

Rules No otherworldly descriptions that cannot be rationally explained away will be added to a room. Custom scripting to include odors or other interactive elements of the room are possible, but must be negotiated and agreed upon with the staff before approval.

Comment

For story purposes, you may wish to create a unique item, such as a family heirloom. These are typically items that already exist, like a fedora, for example. But it has a tear in it, or a feather detail, perhaps, which makes it unique to your character. Some alternatives to this may be a cane with a hidden blade, a trunk with a false bottom, or a gun scope that gives you better aim.

Rules You cannot obtain a completely unique, coded-from-scratch item for this expenditure. It is a minor coding change. It does not cover multiple details of the object either, merely a single trait. As always, lewd or inappropriate traits will be declined.

Care Package from home: Cost 10

This will be a randomized back of stuff along with one mundane item that the staff may specially code. The player, a student presumably, will get a care package from mom and pop, full of foods, supplies, maybe some clothes, and a family heirloom. This is as much a tool for plotters to introduce stories as it should be fun for players to receive.

Rules Care packages will never contain weapons. The player implicitly accepts the consequences for any oddities included in said package that may lead to unforeseen circumstances or even peril.

Annual Allowance: Cost 100

Mummy and Daddy are rich. Because they simply adore you, they have fixed a stipend for your educational, ahem, activities. No son or daughter of theirs will ever be seen not living well, right? With this enhancement, your character receives an immediate $1,000 allowance from your parents (or a rich aunt or whomever) for the year.

Rules This is not a recurring allowance. It costs 100 points for each annual stipend. The staff is not responsible for either theft or your character’s spendthrift ways.

Quick Cash!: Cost 1 point per $1

Strapped for cash? Your character writes home or to that mysterious uncle up in Dunwich for a fast money infusion. It arrives via the mail.

Rules This is a one-time expenditure. Any story rationalization for how your character got the money is up to you; the staff takes no responsibility for following up on plot ideas unless it would involve entertaining other players somehow.

Because this could become very time intensive for the staff to fulfill requests for money, a player may only make one such expenditure of this sort per month.

Customized Weapons: Cost 100+

Arkham is a dangerous place full of dangerous people. Whether you want to be one of these people or protect yourself from them, you may purchase a custom weapon for a minimum cost of 100 storypoints. For now, this does not include firearms. You may be charged more depending on if you want your weapon to have any special scripts or effects. Be warned though: if you are caught breaking the law with this weapon, it may be confiscated from you by the Arkham Police Department (or worse, Miss Ruth Ellen Whitby) and you may not get it back.

SPECIAL CHARACTER OPTIONS

Extra Character Slot: Cost 100

With this expenditure, you can add an additional character slot for another freshman student character of your making.

Rules You may only add one freshman student slot (for a maximum of two for basic accounts and three for premium). You may buy additional slots for other various sorts of special characters, like a hobo or animal slot.

Abuse of knowledge gained from alts will be dealt with through warnings and, ultimately, the removal of the extra character slot from your account without refund of storypoints.

Hobo Character Slot: Cost 100

In addition to your regular character slot, you can also gain a hobo character slot. A hobo is a traveler, usually of the railroads, who ended up in Arkham for one reason or another. The hoboes of Arkham live either in their own “hobo jungle” or a nearby “hooverville.” You have no private room, but the open road calls to you with its sweet song. This package includes an extra character slot for one hobo of your making. The hobo is not a student and has no money, but has incidental skills related to the hobo calling, as well as appropriate clothes, a bindle, and some cigarettes.

Rules Hobos are vagrants and are prone to being arrested by police officers. The story staff takes no responsibility for bailing you out of trouble that your character gets in after character creation. Abuse of knowledge gained from alts like hoboes will be dealt with through warnings and, ultimately, the removal of the hobo character from your account. Hobo creation requires the active participation of a story plotter to help you come up with (or approve) an appropriate name and backstory.

Animal Character Slot: Cost 100

Arkham isn’t just made up of human beings. The alleys are crawling with verminous rats, sly crows, owls, stray cats, mutts and other creatures common to New England. With this package, you gain an extra character slot to play an animal. This may either be a pet you play for your own or another’s character, a “familiar” (though no supernatural abilities will be given with this basic package), or a stray.

Rules Abuse of knowledge gained from alts like animal characters will be dealt with through warnings and, ultimately, the removal of the animal from your account.